Ted Cruz: Dick Durbin request ‘inappropriate’

Sen. Ted Cruz is encouraging organizations that might have supported the American Legislative Exchange Council not to respond to a request from Sen. Dick Durbin asking for those organizations’ positions on “stand your ground laws.”

On Tuesday, Durbin (D-Ill.) sent letters to a list of hundreds of suspected ALEC donors seeking information on “whether companies that have funded ALEC’s operations in the past currently support ALEC and the model ‘stand your ground’ legislation.” Durbin will chair a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing on the states with “stand your ground” laws on the books in September. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has also called for review of the laws.

Text Size

-

+

reset

Cruz called Durbin’s request “inappropriate government intrusion” and indicated that he believes it could result in targeting of companies and groups whose positions are at odds with Durbin and the Obama administration.

“Senator Durbin’s request for ALEC supporters to announce an official position on gun laws in advance of a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing is inappropriate, and I encourage recipients not to respond,” Cruz said Friday. “In light of the current IRS targeting scandal, this action raises concerns about retaliation against those who may disagree with the chairman and the Obama administration.”

ALEC helps develop “model bills” for introduction in state legislatures and had pushed the implementation of “stand your ground” laws in the past. The council dissolved the task force that worked on non-economic issues in April 2012 after coming under scrutiny following the shooting of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman in Florida.